


Until The Night Falls

by so_real



Series: you're not a star, you're the whole firmament [1]
Category: ATEEZ (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Magic, Cat Familiar San, Fluff, Kissing, M/M, Merman Seonghwa, Sirens, Witch Apprentice Wooyoung, Witch Hongjoong
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-19
Updated: 2020-02-19
Packaged: 2021-02-27 19:27:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,531
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22800961
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/so_real/pseuds/so_real
Summary: 'Being able to see the sea from the window is never good for his focus, because all he can think about is whether Seonghwa will already be waiting for him down at the shore, or whether he's out on the ocean collecting seashells he finds pretty to give to Hongjoong. The thought of Seonghwa's giddy smile every time he brings one of his little gifts to Hongjoong makes him lose his focus enough to smash his own finger with the pestle.'ORThe one where Hongjoong is a witch, Seonghwa is a merman, and they're in love.
Relationships: Kim Hongjoong/Park Seonghwa
Series: you're not a star, you're the whole firmament [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1642648
Comments: 33
Kudos: 354





	Until The Night Falls

**Author's Note:**

  * For [sharkhwa](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sharkhwa/gifts).



> Hiya! This is for my lovely Ania, who came up with this amazing idea, as she always does. I might consider expanding on this if she lets me uwu 🥰
> 
> It's quite short but i really like how it came out so i hope everyone enjoys it too!

Hongjoong looks up from the fins he's smashing and sighs, his eyes finding the window, and the sea beneath it.

"That's the fourth one today," Wooyoung comments, not looking up from where he's meticulously stirring a cauldron. "You're so whipped."

Hongjoong feels his ears heat up as he turns to glare at his apprentice. He's a good one, that Hongjoong can't deny, but he's such an annoying fuck sometimes. It's like he doesn't have enough with stealing Hongjoong's spot as his familiar San's favorite, he also has to pester Hongjoong all day long about his yearning.

"Shut up," he spits, going back to work. Being able to see the sea from the window is never good for his focus, because all he can think about is whether Seonghwa will already be waiting for him down at the shore, or whether he's out on the ocean collecting seashells he finds pretty to give to Hongjoong. The thought of Seonghwa's giddy smile every time he brings one of his little gifts to Hongjoong makes him lose his focus enough to smash his own finger with the pestle.

Wooyoung looks up when he hears his yelp and curse, and gives him a pointed look. "Whipped," is all he says before going back to stirring, like that's the end of it.

Hongjoong can't really contradict him.

* * *

By the time the sun starts to go down and they've finished the potion, Hongjoong can't stay still. Once the potion is properly bottled and labeled for Yunho to sell after, he makes a passable job out of cleaning everything and telling Wooyoung to go home before he's practically bolting out the door, stopping only to give San's head a kiss where he's sleeping curled up in a ball in the living room's window ledge, to which the cat reacts with a little unhappy noise as he stretches.

"I'm going down to the cove, Wooyoungie made some ramen earlier if you want it, I'll see you later," he says all in one breath, making San grunt in acknowledgment and hop from the ledge, trotting out of the room to in no doubt find Wooyoung. Hongjoong rolls his eyes at his own familiar's betrayal and runs out the door.

The walk down to the cove where Hongjoong meets Seonghwa is a short one, but Hongjoong manages to make it shorter with how fast he's going. He quickly leaves the mansion behind on the cliff, and reaches the soft sand of the shore. Judging by the inclination of the sun, he still has a good hour or so of light, and he plans on using it to the fullest.

He runs in the sand, kicking his shoes off as he goes, not caring where they land because no one else ever comes down here anyway, and his bare feet quickly find the calm waters. His eyes scan the water quickly, and then he deflates slightly when he doesn't find what he's looking for. He walks until he's knee deep in the sea, not feeling the cold thanks to the spell he crafted some years ago for this specific purpose.

"Seonghwa?" he calls out, trying to search under the waves for the familiar twirl of a shimmery black tail, but the sun is directly in his eyes, and it makes the water dark and difficult to see past. "Hwa? Don't play hide and seek with me!"

At that, there's a gentle disturbance in the water, and suddenly, a head breaks through the surface of it. Seonghwa peeks out of the sea, only his eyes and the top of his head visible, and Hongjoong feels himself break out into a smile.

"Are you shy?" he teases, cocking his head. Seonghwa shakes his, the water splashing slightly around him, and then one of his hands comes out to make a beckoning gesture. Hongjoong doesn't even think twice before he walks deeper into the sea. People might think he's a fool, letting himself be lured in by a merman, but what they don't know is that Hongjoong's heart has been Seonghwa's since the first moment he saw him.

The water reaches up to his waist by the time he's close enough to Seonghwa to see the outline of his black tail under the waves. Hongjoong is in love with every part of Seonghwa, but his tail has always been fascinating to him, the smooth black scales dusted with little splashes of white that make it look like Seonghwa carries the night sky with him wherever he goes.

Seonghwa is wearing what looks like a bag made out of seaweed and old cloth slung over his shoulder, that Hongjoong knows he uses to carry the things he picks for him, and he looks up at Hongjoong from under his wet bangs, eyes big and fond. Dropping to a swim, Hongjoong closes the last few feet separating them, and before he knows it, Seonghwa is crashing into his arms with the force of a tidal wave, nearly making him fall backwards.

Hongjoong wraps his arms around Seonghwa's thin waist and buries his face in his neck, smelling the comforting scent of salt. He feels Seonghwa's arms tighten around his neck, and the merman's nose nuzzle his temple, and everything suddenly feels like it's right where it should be.

"You're late," Seonghwa mutters, his voice soft and gentle like the waves that rock them.

Hongjoong places a kiss against his cool skin, a silent apology. "The potion took longer than expected."

Seonghwa simply hums, clinging to Hongjoong's body like he's the only thing keeping him from floating away. When Hongjoong met Seonghwa all those years ago, both young and wide eyed and afraid of each other, but terribly curious at the same time, he'd never imagined he'd grow to the point where he'd only feel at home like this: water splashing against his chest and a merman's arms around him.

"I didn't find any red algae," Seonghwa says after a while, and Hongjoong had honestly forgotten he'd asked him to look for some when he had the time. "I think it's still too early."

He shakes his head. "It's fine, I'll just use the brown ones."

Seonghwa makes a little agreeing sound, and pulls away slightly from his embrace to look him in the eye. He's stunning, with his eyes deep as the ocean itself, and his skin peppered with the tiniest of freckles from his days spent under the sun. Hongjoong has seen many beautiful creatures in his life as a witch, but none of them even come close to Seonghwa.

"I brought you something else, though," Seonghwa tells him, lips parting in his perfect, giddy smile. Hongjoong can't help but smile back at him, hopelessly smitten.

"What is it this time? I really liked those shiny rocks from last week," he happily admits. Seonghwa just looks fondly at him before removing his arms from around his neck and fetching something inside his bag. Whatever it is, it's small enough to fit in the palm of his hand and be completely hidden when he raises a closed fist back up.

"It's not shiny rocks," he says with a smile, and Hongjoong can tell he's extremely excited to show whatever it is to him by the way his tail can't stay still inside the water, which in turn makes Hongjoong's curiosity flare.

"Ah, don't drag it out and show me!" He complains jokingly. Seonghwa pokes his cheek with his other hand, as if telling him not to be impatient.

"You were always whining about wanting to get new earrings, so…" he starts, and opens his hand to reveal the tiniest seashells Hongjoong has ever seen, which glimmer a soft turquoise under the setting sun. They're attached to what look like fish hooks, and Hongjoong realizes with a jolt that they are  _ earrings _ .

"Did you make these?" he breathes out, awestruck. Seonghwa nods, and his face is set in a small, proud smile that Hongjoong has never seen before, but that quickly climbs the ranking for his favorite Seonghwa smiles. 

"Do you like them?" Seonghwa asks, tentatively.

"Like them? Hwa, they're amazing, I love them!" Hongjoong quickly replies, to which Seonghwa's smile grows until his eyes are nothing but pretty crescents. Hongjoong wants nothing more than to kiss him right now.

"I'm glad to hear that."

"Can I try them on?" Hongjoong asks, nervously. 

"Yes!" Seonghwa exclaims, offering them to him. Hongjoong makes a halting motion, quickly removing the little hoops he's currently wearing on his ears and putting them in the back pocket of his jeans. He then carefully takes one of the seashell earrings and brings it up to his eyes to inspect it. "I smoothed out the hooks so that they wouldn't hurt your ears," Seonghwa explains as Hongjoong marvels at the beauty of the shell.

"Thank you," he mutters, and he brings it to his ear, hooking it into place. He gently does the same with the other one, and then looks at Seonghwa, batting his eyelashes ridiculously. "How do I look?"

Seonghwa's smile is brighter than the sun setting behind him. "Beautiful," he says, bringing a hand to cup Hongjoong's cheek. "They look really pretty with your hair."

Hongjoong's hand comes up to distractedly brush through said hair, which he dyed white a few weeks prior in an accident, but kept that way after Seonghwa's insistence that it looks good on him. "I love them," he repeats, because he still can't believe Seonghwa has made them for him.

"And I love you," Seonghwa says without missing a beat, and Hongjoong feels his own jaw drop before he's bursting out laughing.

"Smooth," he comments in between giggles, Seonghwa's thumb stroking over his cheek as he smiles fondly at him.

"I do try," he says.

"Mhm," Hongjoong hums, letting his arms link behind Seonghwa's neck, bringing him closer. Seonghwa looks down at him with a knowing expression, and Hongjoong is so in love he thinks he will burst. "I really want to kiss you."

"What's stopping you?" Seonghwa asks, just to be difficult, and Hongjoong lets out a small snort before leaning in and pressing their lips together.

Kissing Seonghwa is a bit like diving into the ocean. He tastes salty, and Hongjoong always feels like he's doing something that could be potentially dangerous, but can't stop himself from experiencing the thrill of it. Seonghwa kisses him like he's the oxygen he needs to breathe, and Hongjoong quite feels like he is, sometimes, with how breathless it leaves him. 

This kiss is sweet, though, despite the salt clinging to their skin. Hongjoong lets Seonghwa kiss him slowly and deeply, feeling his head spin with how much he doesn't want it to end. His hands thread in Seonghwa's damp hair, and he breathes him all in: salt, and ocean, and sun rays.

He chases after Seonghwa when he parts, eliciting a chuckle from the merman, who holds his face still with his hands and places one last peck to his lips. "It's getting dark," he mutters, like it pains him to do so, but he knows it's the right thing to do.

"I don't  _ care _ ," Hongjoong replies, truthfully, fiercely. He'd stay here all night if it meant never parting from Seonghwa's side.

"Joong," Seonghwa starts, in that crooning voice he uses when he wants to convince him of something. "My love, you have to work tomorrow, and I'm sure you haven't eaten in hours." 

" _ I don't care _ ," Hongjoong repeats, trying to get the point across, that nothing matters if he's with Seonghwa. "I couldn't focus all day because I was thinking about you, don't make me go back when I finally get you in my arms."

Seonghwa's face drops to something impossibly soft and regretful. He leans down, pressing his forehead against Hongjoong's, and Hongjoong clings to his bare shoulders desperately. "I'm sorry, my love," he whispers, the sound of it almost getting carried away by the waves. "I, too, wish we had more time."

Hongjoong shakes his head, feeling guilty. "Don't apologise, it's not your fault."

They have a conversation like this at least once a week, when the handful of stolen hours they get together aren't enough to calm the riot in Hongjoong's mind telling him to never leave Seonghwa's embrace.

"We still have Sunday, right?" Seonghwa asks, in what is a clear attempt to placate, and Hongjoong lets him, chuckling to himself when he thinks about the time when Seonghwa couldn't remember the human days of the week to save his life.

"Are we still going to the cave?" 

"Yes! It's lovelier and sparklier than ever this time of the year," Seonghwa says excitedly, pulling back to beam at him, and Hongjoong thinks nothing can be lovelier than him right now.

"I look forward to it," he tells him with a smile.

They look at each other for a second, both smiling, and Hongjoong knows they're both trying to postpone the inevitable. 

Surprisingly, it's him who breaks first. "I guess I should go." It pains him to say so, but Seonghwa is right, as he is most times. 

"I'll be waiting for you tomorrow," Seonghwa promises, tracing his cheek with gentle fingers. "You'd better not be late."

"I won't," Hongjoong assures him, surging up and stealing one last kiss from Seonghwa's surprised lips. "I love you."

Seonghwa smiles at him with a radiance that puts the stars to shame. "I love you too," he says. "Now go have dinner, please."

"Yes~"

* * *

When Hongjoong steps into the mansion again, almost half an hour later, he finds Wooyoung sitting on his couch with San laying on his lap, the witch scratching behind the cat's ears as he watches something on Hongjoong's old TV. 

"Oh, hey," he greets Hongjoong, and Hongjoong doesn't even bat an eyelash, because Wooyoung ends up staying over most nights than not. "How is Seonghwa?"

"He's okay," Hongjoong replies, trying not to miss him too much. Wooyoung makes a little sound.

"Did you ask him about his friend?" he says, trying to sound nonchalant, but his cheeks are dusted pink, and Hongjoong knows better.

"I didn't ask him about Yeosang, no," he says, grabbing some of the snacks Wooyoung has in front of him in the coffee table and stuffing his mouth with them.

"Oh," Wooyoung deflates, and Hongjoong feels slightly guilty.

"I will next time," he promises, ruffling his hair. Wooyoung smiles up at him gratefully.

"Hey! What are those?" he points at Hongjoong's ears, and the wave of pride that overtakes Hongjoong makes him a little giddy.

"Seonghwa made them for me," he says, unable to stop the grin spreading on his face.

"Really?! They're so cool!"

"I know, right?" Hongjoong knows he must sound like a fool but he doesn't  _ care _ .

"Ew, gross, get that dopey ass smile away from me," Wooyoung jokes, and Hongjoong kicks his shin on his way to the kitchen.

Even though things aren't ideal, even though his heart is down by the shore, counting down the hours until their next meeting, Hongjoong smiles. He touches the seashells on his ears, thinking that now, at least, he'll have a tangible reminder of Seonghwa wherever he goes. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!
> 
> As always find [me](https://twitter.com/thewintersobber) and [Ania](https://twitter.com/sharkhwa) on Twitter 💗


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